3.2.4 Neighborhood Residential District (NR)

Intent: The Neighborhood Residential District provides for residential infill development surrounding the traditional town center and its logical extensions. This district also provides for town-scaled residential development within walking distance (generally ½ mile) of satellite village centers, identified on the Land Development Plan. Streets in the Neighborhood Residential District must be interconnected, according to Article 5, Streets, and Urban Open Space provided according to Article 7. A range of housing types is encouraged. Low-intensity business activity is permitted in mixed-use and commercial buildings at residential scale, according to locational criteria. The intensity to which permitted uses may be built is regulated by the building type which corresponds to the use.

a) Permitted Uses

Uses permitted by right

bed and breakfast inns

boarding or rooming houses for up to four roomers

congregate housing designed within the “civic” building type

family care homes

multi-family homes

single family homes

Uses permitted with conditions

commercial use in a mixed use building 1, located on an arterial or at the intersection of a local street and a larger capacity street

commercial use, in a detached house building type, located within 1/4 mile of a Town Center district and fronting a major or minor thoroughfare ( includes properties in which any portion falls within the 1/4 mile boundary) (9.51).

1 The mixed use building duplicates the shopfront building type and has at least two occupiable stories; at least 50% of the habitable area of the building shall be in residential use, the remainder shall be in commercial use. However, when an existing residential building is redeveloped to a mixed-use, at least 40% of the habitable area shall be in residential use.

Uses permitted with Special Use Permit

solar energy facility, minor residential, as follows: located on the facade elevation facing public street or common access; or located on the roof slope above the facade of the structure facing public street or common access (9.54)

d) General Requirements

1) Along existing streets, new buildings shall respect the general spacing of structures, building mass and scale, and street frontage relationships of existing buildings.

New buildings which adhere to the scale, massing, volume, spacing, and setback of existing buildings along fronting streets exhibit demonstrable compatibility.

New buildings which exceed the scale and volume of existing buildings may demonstrate compatibility by varying the massing of buildings to reduce perceived scale and volume. The definition of massing in Article 12 illustrates the application of design techniques to reduce the visual perception of size and integrate larger buildings with pre-existing smaller buildings.

A single-family detached house established on a lot of one acre or more that is created according to the provisions of Article 8.1, paragraph 1, need not adhere to the spacing, massing, scale, and street frontage relationships of existing buildings along an existing street or road, but shall, at a minimum, observe a front setback of 40 feet and a lot width of 90 feet. This paragraph shall take precedence over the requirement of Article 4: Lot Types/Detached House for placement of a building on its lot.

Nothing in this subsection shall be interpreted to conflict with the building design element provisions as found in GS 160A-381(h) for structures subject to the North Carolina Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings.

2) On new streets, allowable building and lot types will establish the development pattern.

3) In major subdivisions which are extensions of the traditional town center and planned developments associated with new neighborhood centers, the aggregate number of dwelling units contained in attached houses, apartment buildings, and mixed-use buildings shall not exceed 30% of the total number of dwelling units in a project.

4) Notwithstanding the limitations of 3), above, in any section of a major subdivision located within ¼ mile of a designated rail transit station, the percentage of dwelling units contained in attached houses, apartment buildings, and mixed use buildings is not limited. Higher overall density is encouraged within ¼ mile of rail transit stations. Rail transit stations are those locations designated by resolution adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Town of Huntersville.

5) Every building lot shall have frontage upon a public street except as provided in Section 8.1.

6) The percentage of attached dwelling units contained in a retirement community is not limited when duplex style buildings are used.